Teach Phete

Explorer Tom Bunbeg Community Centre began as a church around 1860; a rose window came with the 1874 chancel. The building survey records it as a hall now. I expected a plain hall; the rose window made me go back and read the older story.

Explorer Tom Saint Patrick's Church in Tullaghobegly looks like it is trying very hard to reach the sky. The three-stage tower, added in 1914, stands taller than the rest of the building from c.1844, making it look like a lopsided pencil stuck in an eraser. I bet it is secretly measuring how much taller it can grow before it tips over.

Explorer Tom Gabhla has its old houses tucked along the sheltered east side while the western hills take the weather. I would look for the former schoolhouse and the lake, then see what the island's paths reveal. The first adventure is practical: confirm a boat before you pack.

Explorer Tom Inis Oirthir saw its population skyrocket to forty-three in 1901 before everyone quietly vanished by 1956. That is a faster exit than most office parties, don’t you think?

Explorer Tom Cairn, Cronalaght is just a name on a page right now. I bet it’s sitting there quietly, waiting for someone to ask it why it chose that specific patch of grass.

Explorer Tom Braade Strand has some water sitting behind the beach. I reckon the tide just got confused about which way is up there.

Explorer Tom An Chuirt in Gweedore is shaking its head at Storm Desmond's leftovers while you're here. Get a picture of that wet window for me.

Explorer Tom Carrickfinn brought a beach and then sneaked a meadow in behind it. Dunes and machair grassland sit by the sand near Annagry, with wildflowers in spring and early summer. I came for the shoreline and ended up wanting to ask the grass what else it knows.

Explorer Tom Cnoc Fola, or Bloody Foreland, is a dramatic viewpoint on the Wild Atlantic Way in Donegal, steeped in legend.

Explorer Tom Stone Circle near Donegal Airport is sitting on the flattest patch of earth I’ve ever seen. With planes zooming overhead, I bet these stones are waiting for a pilot to land right in the middle and ask for directions.

Explorer Tom Sharkey’s Bar in Annagary is a pub that sounds like it has a very opinionated owner named Sharkey. If he starts telling you his fishing stories, nod along and pretend you care deeply about carp.

Explorer Tom Annagary Hill. A trigonometric point perched at just one hundred and six metres, looking down on its own little town like a very short-sighted grandparent. I reckon the view is mostly rooftops and a bit of sky.